


the soulmate swap

by electraDandelion



Series: AtsuHina • Soulmate Swap [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (Day 3), Also known as: the story of Hinata's first V.League game, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, AtsuHina Week, Bodyswap, Brazil, M/M, Post-Time Skip, Soulmates, just a little Hinata-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:21:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29057373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electraDandelion/pseuds/electraDandelion
Summary: Hinata Shōyō had waited for his 21st birthday his whole life. Perhaps the thing that got him through the first 21 years of his life — especially through the last year and a half of life halfway across the world — was knowing that somewhere, there was someone waiting for him. Someone made for him. That night, as he went to sleep on the eve of his 21st year, Hinata Shōyō would meet his soulmate.Well, technically, he wouldn’t physically meet his soulmate, so much as swap bodies with them for a day.+++For AtsuHina Week Day 3: Soulmate AU + Bodyswap AU
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Series: AtsuHina • Soulmate Swap [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131821
Comments: 26
Kudos: 238





	the soulmate swap

**Author's Note:**

> For AtsuHinaWeek 2021 Day 3 • Soulmate AU + Bodyswap AU prompts:

Hinata Shōyō had waited for his 21st birthday his whole life. Perhaps the thing that got him through the first 21 years of his life — especially through the last year and a half of life halfway across the world — was knowing that somewhere, there was someone waiting for him. Someone _made_ for him. 

That night, as he went to sleep on the eve of his 21st year, Hinata Shōyō would meet his soulmate. 

Well, technically, he wouldn’t physically _meet_ his soulmate, so much as swap bodies with them for a day. Distance would then be the next hurdle to see how long it would take to meet them in person. 

The other factor was age. Normally, if Shōyō was older than his soulmate… they wouldn’t know he existed until they _also_ turned 21 and they swapped bodies once again. 

Technically, Hinata had already ‘met’ his soulmate before. He didn’t remember as much, but on October 6th a little more than a year ago, Hinata had awoken to find a very stressed out looking Pedro who was beyond grateful that Hinata was himself again. 

On a first swap, most people aren’t able to learn a whole lot about their soulmates before they turn 21 themselves, since they would not regain their memories until the day _after_ their own birthday. Some people get more than others; Hinata got nothing. 

His soulmate didn’t speak Portuguese. Apparently, Pedro had gotten through with some small snippets of both Japanese and English… but not enough in either language to get much of a picture of _who_ Hinata's soulmate was.

Hinata felt sorry for his soulmate, knowing how scary it can be to be trapped somewhere where you don’t know the language… but at least he had _chosen_ to come to Brazil. His soulmate hadn’t. 

From that day on, Hinata knew that when he turned 21 himself, he had a lot of making up to do for his soulmate. 

This time around, Hinata made a plan with Pedro, Nice, Heitor, and his coach to make sure that his soulmate would have an easier and _far_ more welcoming experience in Brazil and in his soulmate’s body. 

Between the four of them, they knew enough English and Japanese to converse with Hinata’s soulmate. Hopefully, his soulmate knew enough of at least _one_ of the languages so they wouldn't feel so trapped. Hinata had already made sure he didn’t have any beach matches scheduled for the day, so his soulmate didn’t have to be accidentally thrown into the harsh conditions of volleyball again. 

(Well, not again. Last time, when Hinata’s partner at the time called Hinata’s phone to angrily ask why he was late for their tournament, Pedro was able to explain the situation at least a little. That had been the end of that partnership.) 

But this time he had also taken some pointers from the more western-style of soulmate celebrations. In Japan, it was tradition to introduce your soulmate to your family and into your normal daily life, so it usually entailed a calm, welcoming into the family. In the west however, it was a time for celebration. 

Some places, it was tradition for the friends to throw a party where they would give their friend’s soulmate a rundown of everything to know about them. Sometimes it was well intentioned, sometimes it turned into a fun, joking atmosphere… and sometimes… it turned into an all-out, black-out night out. 

Especially in America, where it had become a sort of college tradition for friends to get their soulmate _super_ drunk. They would be asleep all day the next day regaining their soulmate exchange memories anyway, so why not spend a great night out without the threat of a hangover? 

Well, some of Hinata’s friends in Brazil had _wanted_ to do that… but he was an athlete who’s body was his temple, and something inside told him that his soulmate would feel the same way. Plus, alcohol makes being multilingual much tougher, so that might cancel out all the good from plan #1. 

But in the same vein, each of Hinata's friends and mentors who was there with him in Brazil would take Hinata’s soulmate on a tour of his life there in Brazil. 

Pedro would call up Hinata’s family in Japan on Skype call, and he also had the task of explaining the day ahead to his soulmate. As well as the all important task of making sure Hinata/his soulmate was well fed.

Nice and Heitor were more than happy to give Hinata's soulmate a tour of the bustling streets of Rio. Of course, they would end up relaxing at the beach, where they would then take the opportunity to talk in their own loving way about who Hinata was. 

Then, Heitor would drop off Hinata’s soulmate at the gym where he worked with his coach. They thought he would be the best person to explain Hinata’s drive and motivation — which, was truly what made Hinata _Hinata_. That way, his soulmate would also know what they were getting into in the future, with Hinata’s plans to return to Japan. 

By the end of the night, his soulmate would have the option to either return home, or spend the night out on the town — accompanied by Kenma — over video chat. That way, they could either experience more of Brazil if they wanted — or spend a night in adjusting to the prospect of life with their soulmate. Plus, Kenma would never have skipped out on the opportunity to judge Hinata’s soulmate. Or to drive in the fear of pissing him off by hurting Hinata. 

There wasn’t much more he could do to make his soulmate comfortable, but Hinata was happy knowing he could at least provide for them something in return for hopefully, a lifetime of love. 

He had put so much thought into planning for his own soulmate to visit, that by the time July 20th came around, Hinata hardly even had time to wonder about what would await him on the other side of his soulmate connection when he woke up. 

+++ 

As Hinata blinked his eyes open, a soft, filtered light spread across his face. It wasn't the normally bright and warm light through his shuttered blinds back at his apartment in Brazil. No, that was because this was not _his_ eyes that opened, this wasn’t _his_ apartment. This was Hinata’s _soulmate’s_. 

With that realization, Hinata sat up with a shot, wide eyes scanning the unfamiliar room. It was by no means small; he was sitting on at _least_ a queen size mattress, and it still didn't make the room feel small. 

Somehow, the feeling of seeing and _feeling_ through his soulmate’s body wasn’t as weird as he imagined it might be. There wasn’t any sort of haze or fuzz around his movements or vision; he almost expected it to be like watching a movie or maybe like controlling a mech or something. But it almost felt… normal.

Hinata did a quick perusal of the room, and sadly, there was no large mirror on the wall. He guessed he would have to find a bathroom or something in order to find out what his soulmate looked like. 

With the reminder that he was _in_ his soulmate’s body, Hinata gingerly but excitedly began moving his hands up, down, over and around the body he was currently occupying. 

They had short hair, but longer than Hinata's own; still too short to see what color it was though. He traced long fingers along a strong and broad jawline that led up to surprisingly supple cheeks. All their features peaked with a small, but long and pointy nose in the center of their face. 

As Hinata moved their limbs around, the action felt oddly heavy and gangly, which probably meant that his soulmate was a good deal taller than him. 

Hinata felt himself blush as he looked down to the loose black T-shirt he was currently wearing as he moved to grasp his soulmate’s chest. The breasts — pectorals? — were incredibly firm; his soulmate’s chest was _wide_ . If his soulmate were a girl, their chest would probably be on the smaller size, but if his soulmate was a _man…_ either way, Shōyō found himself already dreaming of falling asleep curled up on top of his soulmate’s chest. 

Their arms, abdomen and legs all felt firm and muscular — like those of an athlete. All of which, Hinata greatly wished he had the time to explore. If there had been a full length mirror in his soulmate’s room, he would have already been in front of it to gawk, for now, only his imagination could fill in exactly how hot his soulmate was. 

He took a deep, steadying breath as he pulled back the grey blanket from the lower half of his current body. The sight left Hinata’s mouth dry. 

His soulmate was _definitely_ male. He had apparently gone to sleep wearing nothing but a tight pair of black and white boxer briefs that didn’t leave much of anything to the imagination. 

Part of Hinata was hoping that what he saw was at least _partial_ morning wood (definitely not _his own)_ because if it wasn’t… his soulmate was _packing_. 

Hinata shook his head quickly to try and regain control of his (soulmate’s?) blood flow. He had far too many things to worry about and figure out other than the moral implications of rubbing one out while in his soulmate’s body. 

Now with a better grasp on his current state of being, Hinata turned his focus back on his soulmate’s room. Hopefully, it would help him gain a bit more sense of who and _where_ he was. 

The walls weren’t fully decorated — definitely not as much as a lived-in home would be. It made the room feel more like a dorm of some sort. The decorations were just enough to feel like home and like someone lived there, but not enough where it would be hard to pack up. Not too much furniture either; other than the bed he was currently on, there was only a desk and chair, a night stand to his right, and a closet built into the wall. 

His soulmate’s room wasn’t _dirty_ per say, but it definitely wasn’t clean. It was a healthy, lived in mess. No trash piled up anywhere, the desk seemed neat enough, and the closet didn’t look piled to the brim with anything. But there was a gym bag strung open on the floor, along with a few stray articles of clothing that hadn't seemed to make it to the laundry basket. 

To Hinata’s shock and glee however, there were _volleyball_ posters hanging on the walls. 

One was a vintage, framed poster of the 1972 Japanese Olympic Team — Japan’s only gold medal in volleyball. The largest was a promotional poster for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics hanging in the center above a small desk, surrounded by a few haphazardly placed motivation quotes and sticky notes. There was also a poster of the MSBY Black Jackals from the 2017 season hanging on the closet door. Maybe they were his soulmate’s favorite team…? Either way, Hinata was beyond excited to have something so integral to his own life in common with his soulmate. 

Another thing Hinata quickly learned from those posters was that his soulmate was probably Japanese. It would definitely explain the language barrier on their first swap. 

There was one last poster that stuck in Hinata’s mind, not because of the meaning, but instead the sense of deja vu that he just couldn’t place. 

On a plain black background were white, broad-stroked kanji which read: “We don’t need memories”. 

Hinata couldn’t place where he had heard or seen that phrase before, but something about it got his heart racing. 

With a quick look at the digital clock on the nightstand, Hinata saw it was 9am, and while he was a morning person by nature who woke at 5am, he could only imagine it was more than time for his soulmate to be up. Even if Hinata wanted to stick to his own routine by force of habit (he knew meditating would help alleviate the anxiety running through his veins about the day ahead), he wouldn’t forgive himself if he hurt his soulmate by being late to something important. 

There was a phone on the nightstand, but no passcode or anything written out like some soulmates do. Hinata checked to see if there was touch ID or face ID, but it seemed that his soulmate didn’t have it enabled. Great. 

After a quick perusal of the night stand, the desk, and the sticky notes on the wall, Hinata found absolutely nothing to indicate who his soulmate was, what responsibilities he had that day, or much of _anything._ Usually, after someone’s first soul swap — barring extenuating circumstances like not speaking the same language — _someone_ will try to figure out when the next swap will happen. I.e. today, Hinata’s birthday.

Now, while that would have been a problem if the roles had been reversed, Hinata spoke Japanese fluently. So it shouldn’t have been an issue… one of his soulmate’s friends, or maybe a family member _must_ have known this was going to happen… _Surely_ Hinata himself would have made a note of his own birthday when he had visited the first time… right…? 

There was some distant clatter down the hall which sounded something like a roommate, which brought Hinata out of his confusion. He heaved a sigh of relief knowing that there was at least _someone_ who could fill him in on who his soulmate was, and what exactly was expected of him for the day… 

With a deep breath, Hinata pushed open the door to his room to the smell of rice and eggs cooking wafting in from down the hallway. As soon as he began to walk, Hinata could admit for the first time that it was actually nice being tall. Of course, it would probably only feel cooler as the day went on, and he got to experience new things from a new height. But for now, Hinata was shocked at how different everything felt from at _least_ 15cm higher than his own normal height. 

He tried to figure out which of the closed doors that lined the hallway was a bathroom, but before he could, a loud and _familiar_ voice called out to him from the kitchen. 

“Wow, Tsumu-Tsumu you’re up so late! You’re lucky Myaa-sam packed a lunch for the trip, and that I’m suuuuch a nice roommate to make you lunch before our game —“ 

The figure in front of him turned around, only to be none other than Bokuto Koutarou — dressed unabashedly in a white and pink frilly apron over top of a black and gold tracksuit. Hinata thought his head might explode. Apparently, he looked like it too, if Bokuto’s concerned owl-like head-tilt was anything to go off of. 

“Are you alright, Tsum-Tsum? Why aren’t you dressed…?” 

“A-Am I Akaashi-san, Bokuto-san?!?!” Hinata couldn’t help but blurt out the first thing that came to mind when he saw his former mentor standing in his soulmate’s kitchen. 

(Even though Hinata had always assumed that Bokuto and Akaashi were soulmates, he had never gotten _confirmation,_ since Akaashi had turned 21 while he was abroad.) 

Bokuto bellowed a laugh in response. 

“Of course not, Tsumu-Tsumu, your tosses are great and all, but you’re definitely no Akaashi!” The owl in human form kept cackling for a few more seconds at his own joke before something clicked. The oh-so familiar intensity in his golden eyes turned to look at Hinata (in his soul mate’s body) with a furrowed brow and deeply inquisitive look. 

“Wait… If you’re not Tsum-Tsum…” in true Bokuto fashion, his hair seemed to deflate as the color drained from his face. “Hinata!?!?” 

Hinata felt his whole face light up with excitement at the recognition, because it _did_ feel good to see his friend after so long, especially after being away for so long in another country. But that still didn’t explain much of anything. 

“You knew it was me Bokuto-san??” 

“Of course, my lil’ disciple! I was so excited when I talked with you on Tsum-Tsum's first swap! I couldn’t believe that two of my friends were _soulmates_ —“ 

“So this ‘Tsum-Tsum’ is…” 

“Miya Atsumu.” Bokuto cocked his head as he finally gave Hinata’s soulmate a name, looking at him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Hinata couldn’t help the small _eep_ that escaped from his lips. 

Even though his memories of his first swap wouldn’t come back to him until tomorrow, a flood of memories from high school rushed in instead. Like from when he had last faced his _soulmate_ from the other side of a volleyball net. 

More specifically, a few very pivotal, apparently _prophetic,_ words which had stuck with Hinata through all these years. 

_“Shōyō-kun, someday I’ll toss to ya.”_

To think that the fire and sparks he had felt between them whenever they crossed eyes on the court, or how it felt so natural to chase him and try to one-up him with every play… it was because they were _soulmates_. 

“Damn, Hinata, I see that blush!” Bokuto joked as he pelted his back with a too-strong-to-be-affectionate clap. “He’s hot, right? You got a crush on your soulmate already?” 

At Bokuto’s words, Hinata knew his face must only be getting redder. If he were in his own body, his tan probably would have covered some of it… but now, he couldn’t help but imagine Miya Atsumu _blushing_. 

“Hey, watch who you’re calling hot! He’s _my_ soulmate!” After saying the words aloud, Hinata gulped as reality sunk in. “Oh my god, Miya-san is my soulmate.” 

“C’mon, just call him Atsumu!” Bokuto’s laughter was a constant soundtrack. “He _is_ your soulmate and all! I know he’d tell you the same, but especially with Myaa-sam, there’s just too many Miya-sans to keep straight around here...” 

_Myaa-sam must be Atsumu-san’s twin… what was his name again…? Osaka…? Osa… Mu…?_

“But don’t worry, my little disciple, Tsumu-Tsumu is my bro — and bros can appreciate each other’s hotness without making it weird!” For such a strange thing to say, Bokuto seemed oddly confident and stubborn about the subject. But then again, he wasn’t wrong. 

“Wait, so you were there for the first swap?? Does Atsumu-san know??” 

“Hell yeah I was! I think the Miyas came up from Hyogo so they could meet you and Myaa-sam’s soulmate together. It was only two days until the end of our off season, so you probably woke up with Osamu’s soulmate and got the whole kit-and-caboodle from the Miya-sans. Otherwise, I bet you would have woken up in Hyogo.

 _“Buuuuut_ because you didn’t, we held a huge party for Tsumu-Tsumu and Myaa-sam for their 21st here! Apparently the Miyas are the sort of traditionalists that don’t like to meddle until both soulmates are 21 and both remember their swaps, so I still don’t know who Myaa-sam’s soulmate is, but I’ve never seen Tsumu-Tsumu so excited to see me like when you saw me at the party!

“And because you love your #1 senpai so much, you and I talked _forever_ about Tsum-Tsum and volleyball and how the beach was treating you...” Bokuto looked wistful for a moment at the memory. “You also told me what the Miya-sans wanted Tsumu to find you on his own, so don't worry, I made sure not to tell anyone else about ya.

“Hmmmm…” Bokuto hummed as he put on his best thinking face. “Actually… I don’t think really you knew any of his other friends from high school, or any of the Jackals who were at the party, so I don’t think anyone else knows that you’re Tsumu-Tsumu’s soulmate.” 

Hinata was following along and nodding as Bokuto recounted the previous swap with his trademark energy. That was until Bokuto’s face suddenly filled with dread. 

“Oh no. _The game_.” 

“The game…?” Hinata couldn’t imagine what sort of game they would have played at a swap party that could elicit that kind of reaction from his mentor. 

“The Jackals game. We’re playing the Red Falcons. _Today.”_

“Today?!?!” Hinata shrieked. “What do you mean today?!?! D-Didn’t I tell someone what day the next swap would be?!” 

“Yeah, you made sure I knew your birthday since Myaa-sam wouldn’t remember —“ before he could finish his sentence, Bokuto fell to the floor with all the dramatics of his high school days. “Oh **god** it’s all my fault! I forgot to tell Tsum-Tsum!” 

“Bokuto-san i-it’s okay —“ even though it was _hardly_ okay, Hinata didn’t want to have to deal with an Emo-mode Bokuto today on top of everything else. “What time is the game?”

“The bus leaves at 10...” Bokuto quivered lamely as he patted around for his phone. “I’ll call the captain… maybe we can…” 

“Captain? Do the Black Jackals have another setter?” 

“No! Not anyone good at least!! Hinata, what are we going to do?!?” Bokuto wailed and shook his head in anguish as he buried his hands through the already gelled hair. “Tsum-Tsum is gonna kill me if he finds out I’m the reason we lost —“ 

“Why would you lose?” Hinata just cocked his head to the side, not understanding what Bokuto was so worried about. 

“How can we win against the Falcons if we don’t even have a setter!?” 

“Don’t worry Bokuto-san, I’ll be the one setting to you.” 

+++ 

  
  


Hinata and Bokuto raced through the apartment as quickly as they could to get all of Atsumu’s stuff packed and ready for them to meet the team downstairs. It was definitely a challenge, seeing as Atsumu hadn’t given them the courtesy of packing or showering the night before. 

They made it with a minute to spare. 

As soon as they got on the bus, Bokuto and Hinata snuck off as inconspicuously as possible to the back. Based on everyone else’s nonchalance, Hinata assumed that Atsumu and Bokuto often paired off with each other. Or, maybe everyone was already too far off in their own pre-game rituals to notice anything different. 

The bus ride was only a little more than an hour, so while it wasn’t all that long, it was still enough time for them to think of their best course of strategy. Option A: wing it and hope no one notices… or Option B: tell Coach Foster and the team. After a little pep talk from Bokuto about how Coach Foster was a 'pretty understanding guy who likes to try new and interesting things at least once', Hinata agreed that Option B was their best bet. Worst case scenario, he hoped the second string setter or maybe the libero could step in in a pinch. 

Finally, after about another twenty minutes on the road, Hinata was able to steel his nerves. Before he could second guess himself, Hinata stood up suddenly to practically yell at the top of his lungs: 

“Yoroshiku onegai shimas!!!” 

All white noise on the bus suddenly stopped as all eyes were on him. Everyone was looking at him, a mixture of confusion, annoyance and amusement among the mix of expressions. Hinata took another deep breath before using all of his confidence he had gained over the years to introduce himself. 

“My name is Hinata Shōyō and I am Miya Atsumu’s soulmate!” 

Gasps and hushed whispers fill the bus. 

“I was hoping to meet you all next year at tryouts after I returned to Japan, but it seems like fate decided I needed to arrive a little early. I am an all-around player, and am excited to set for you today! Thank you for having me!” Hinata finishes in a deep bow, partially out of politeness, partially as a way to hide his fear as his adrenaline began to wear out. 

After a few tense moments of silence, a gruff American accent could be heard resounding through the bus. 

“Hinata Shōyō?” 

“Hai!” Hinata immediately popped up to answer, then quickly wiggled his way up the aisle to where the coaching team was sitting up front. He gulped as he felt their eyes appraising him, trying his best to assume a cool, Atsumu-esque nonchalance. 

“Hinata-kun, is that right? Are you a setter?” A large blond man asked. By his clothes, the clipboard in his lap, and his impressive aura — Hinata could tell without introduction that he was the Black Jackals’ coach. 

“No sir, I am a spiker. But I play Beach, so I mean it when I say I am an all-around player. I am equally confident in my serving and my blocking as I am my receiving and setting. Atsumu-san didn’t know this would happen, and he wouldn’t want you to forfeit a match just because he got swapped. Please, just give me a chance.” 

“Beach, you said…? You’re Japanese, no? Where do you train? Have you played indoor before, or…?” Foster asked as he gave Hinata an appraising once-over. 

“Yes sir, I have been training for two years in Brazil, but I played indoor here in Japan in high school. I’ve been training Beach so I can stand on the court by myself and face whatever challenge comes my way.”

“Hmmmm…” Foster hummed in contemplation, not taking his appraising eyes off of Hinata. “Which high school? Would I have seen any of your matches?” 

Under his watchful eyes, Hinata struggled to keep his posture straight, despite the tension his _everything_ was radiating. Still, despite it all, Hinata believed in himself. He knew that no matter what, he was confident in his skills, even if he was scared to make such a sudden adjustment to Atsumu’s physicality and strength. And to possibly step onto the court of a _V.League_ game. 

“Karasuno, sir. We made it to the spring nationals every year I was in high school, and in my third year, we placed Third.”

“Ahhhh the ones who beat Itachiyama, yes?” Foster’s eyes narrowed slightly in recognition. “Were you the ones with that freak—“ 

“Yes sir, we did.” Hinata answered, trying to not obsess over the fact that he cut the other man off. “But even if I am the person you are thinking of, I can promise you that I am not the same volleyball player I was 3 years ago, and certainly not who I was 5 years ago. I just ask that you give me a chance to prove myself to this team, and fix this mistake.”

Hinata felt eyes on him from all corners of the bus, he only now realized it had been completely silent as every member of MSBY was eagerly waiting to see how this played out. 

“Well, what do we have to lose?” 

Hinata blinked down at where the coach was sitting with wide eyes, hardly believing his ears, even though he had hoped beyond hope that he would say yes. 

“I’ll give you a chance, Hinata-kun. Show me 5 sets to each player in warm up, and I'll give you10 serves. I know your serves won’t be anything like Atsumu’s, so that will already give us an upper hand on the Red Falcons. I like taking risks. If you’re good enough — I’ll let you step onto the court.” 

Hinata couldn’t hide the huge grin that burst across his face if he wanted to. As much as he wanted to burst forward and hug the Coach — as well as everyone within a 6 foot radius of him — Hinata managed to restrain himself until he got back to his seat next to Bokuto. Who, was more than happy to be nearly strangled by the excitement of the hug. 

+++ 

Adrenaline was probably what made the rest of the bus ride go by so quickly, but Hinata honestly didn’t mind. Meditiation, despite the uneven pavement rocking the bus, seemed to do the trick of calming his energy. 

Stepping back into such a large indoor court after years away felt like coming home. The lights, the smell… the audience wasn’t anywhere near full yet, and the atmosphere was definitely different than any volleyball tournament he had been to. But it felt like he was meant to be there. 

The first 15 minutes of warm up were the most important to Shōyō, because he needed to get a grasp of what he could _do_ while he was Atsumu — and fast. After some cursory stretching, a few bursts of interval training to test his energy and explosivity (a trick he had learned from training on the beach), and a few practice jumps, he felt ready to pick up the ball. 

It was strange, because Atsumu’s hands were definitely larger than his own. He hadn’t realized just how much his perception of volleyball had been through the lens of his size. But… after a few Lonely Passing Drills™️ (that he _definitely_ didn’t hear any of his teammates laughing at), the changes seemed workable. 

Actually… as he began to get more contact time with the ball… it almost felt _easier_ to get a grip on the ball with how small it felt in his hands. Or, maybe that was just returning back to the controlled, sandless environment of an indoor court after so long. 

Finally, Hinata heard a strong voice call out for the team to assemble on the court. He could only assume that was the Captain — Meian — who Bokuto had talked a lot about. 

Just like that, Hinata found himself next to the net with a queue of spikers lined up ready for him, and a rather tall, light-haired libero on the other side of the court. 

The first one up was Bokuto. It was _supposed_ to be the Captain, _then_ Oliver Barnes, _then_ Bokuto, but his mentor had whined and groaned for a solid minute until the others budged. Hinata thought his intensity was probably a _little_ unnecessary, but he did appreciate the familiarity that came with playing on the same side of the court as Bokuto. Although he had never set to him before, he still knew a lot about his style, power and the types of balls he liked from watching him over the years. 

Somehow, after his first (rather timid, by his standards) toss, Shōyō found himself in the zone. It was a similar state to the focus and intensity he got into during a touch-and-go match on the beach. Only now, he didn’t have as many outside stimuli to take stock of before figuring out the perfect toss. 

By the time he had gone through all 5 tosses, Bokuto hadn’t missed a single one. Only the first one didn’t have that signature Bokuto _boom_ that came with a full powered spike from the ace himself. Crosses, straights, a high and lofty ball, even a quick — it all came together. Maybe it was because it was Bokuto, maybe because it was indoor, maybe because he was a _monster —_ but just in those 5 tosses, it already felt like the Hinata was about to play best volleyball he had ever gotten to play. 

And Hinata couldn’t wait to play even more. 

As Hinata rotated through each of the spikers, they introduced themselves to Hinata (unlike Bokuto), and told him what types of tosses they each liked. With just a single question however, Hinata managed to light a competitive spark in each of their eyes, giving him a blazing hope for the match to come. 

“What types of tosses would Atsumu-san send you?”

Despite never having matched up with any of them before, Hinata only set one or two balls which didn’t reach the other side of the net to score a point (or at _least_ give the libero, Inunaki, a hard time). One of the flukes was to Oliver Barnes — the 6’ 8” cannon — and that was only because Hinata had underestimated the trajectory he needed to match his impressive height with his jump. 

Hinata assumed it was because of his experience with Beach, but for never having tossed to more than one person in a game before, he was shocked at how easily he got into a grove with his spikers. Sure, he had worked with a bunch of middle schoolers, and had probably tossed to upwards of 50 different beach partners over the course of his time in Brazil… but the way this _clicked_ felt different. 

All of the guys were just really easy to work with. Especially the tall, Spanish middle blocker who was more than excited to finally speak a language other than Japanese with his setter. They were all powerful, easy-going guys who seemed genuinely supportive of him — and were equally excited to see what he could do. 

_“Maybe he’ll even give Atsumu a run for his money when he comes back!”_ Someone would joke and everyone would join in and laugh after another nailed spike. 

Hinata had no aspirations of taking away the starting setter position away from Atsumu _(his soulmate!),_ but that did get him thinking. He already knew he wanted to keep playing with these guys. 

Before he even knew it, the setting practice Coach Foster allowed was over. Hinata didn’t let himself think twice before he crossed over to the back of the court to get in his serves. They were his last attempt to earn his spot on the court. 

Even though Hinata had gotten a better hold on Atsumu’s body and skills as he set, serving was a completely different beast. Of _course_ Hinata knew how good of a server Atsumu was — he had been on the receiving end of them twice — and he could only imagine they’d only gotten better. But that definitely didn’t mean his _current_ serving technique was easy to mesh with it. 

He whiffed the first two balls; the first went straight into the net. The second went so far out of bounds, Hinata nearly prayed he was back on the beach and could blame it on the wind. 

The third… was also out of bounds — but only by a hair.

Hinata could see the trajectory; how it felt to cut through the air unobstructed by wind, aided by a strength and muscle memory to die for. Just because that one went out… didn't mean it was a failure. Even Inunaki had dived for the ball in the back corner, and he had been surprised the ball curved out. But, Hinata had _felt_ it. He had 8 more to go. 

Hinata easily scored two service aces in quick succession with a firecrackers of a serve. The libero got a piece of one of them, but it bounced off his arm and to the side. 

After that showing, the coach sent in two other players to receive. Hinata recognized one as Meian, and the other was an excited Bokuto with a feral looking grin on his face. All 3 of them looked hungry for volleyball. 

The next two serves each either bounced off of the receivers arms, or threaded right through the middle of them to take advantage of a delayed reaction. Just when Hinata was feeling _good_ and like he could settle out the last of the ten, Inunaki dove in and picked one up like it was nothing. That's when he was interrupted by a held up hand from the opposite side of the court. 

Hinata had half a mind to complain and beg to let him continue serving, afraid that he had lost out on his chance to keep proving himself. In rprediction of just that, the Captain gave him a reassuring smile and a nod before turning to the bench where Coach Foster was looking on. 

“Let’s do it.” 

+++

When the Black Jackals sent in Bokuto as the first serve instead of Miya Atsumu, it sent a murmur through the crowd. Luckily though, the most natural distraction came in the form of Bokuto as he started his clap that filled the entire stadium with noise. 

With a _whoosh_ , a **bam,** a buzzer and Bokuto screaming “Boku-Beam!!!”, the Black Jackals had their first point. 

In between Bokuto’s second and third serves, an expression passed over the ace’s face that looked as if a literal lightbulb went off inside his head. Before the whistle blew, he quickly turned to Hinata.

“Oh! Remember to do Tsumu-Tsumu’s serve routine before you serve! That stuffs a big deal here in the V. League.” 

Hinata tilted his head for a second in thought, confused, since Foster had previously seemed excited about the whole “no steps into his jumps” thing… but then he lit up at the memory of Atsumu shutting the crowd down completely his fist as if conducting an orchestra before serving at the interhigh. 

“ _How cool!!! Am I going to be able to do that too..?!?”_

As they got further into the set, the only person on the Red Falcons that seemed to notice any real difference was their Outside Hitter, Aran Ojiro. Hinata vaguely remembered playing against the powerful ace once in high school. That’s probably why an indignant look of shock passed over his face when _Atsumu_ had been the one to pick up his first spike of the day — and made it look easy. 

Of course, his teammates on his side of the court had gone equally ape shit, not having seen Hinata’s receives in action before. 

Still, as the first set went on, Hinata couldn’t help himself from smiling. Obviously, not every spike scored, not every receive was perfect, and he ended up hitting two serves out of bounds (but he still scored three points with them, so it evened out). Hinata couldn’t jump as high in Atsumu’s body despite his incredibly muscular thighs, and he didn’t have nearly the trust in his balance that he did in his own body, so he still felt a little sluggish and slow which added a little bit of stress into his shoulders. 

But more than anything, playing with the Jackals was _fun._ It was nice to be a member of a team again, to not have everything weighing on his own shoulders. Even if he couldn’t do everything he wanted all by himself, he had six other guys behind him who were just as hungry to win. 

They took the first set. 

+++ 

After the first set, it was a pretty evenly matched game. The Falcons started got used to the strange new attack patterns that they hadn’t prepared for with tapes, and they got a sense of where Hinata liked to serve the ball. Although, they still always seemed afraid that a surprise jump floater was coming. 

They went back and forth with the Red Falcons, who took two sets along the way, as the Jackals took another. 

In the final set, it was neck and neck all the way. Neither team gave up more than two points in a row right up until the very end. Hinata was worried the stamina he was used to playing with was going to be his downfall now that he was in a different body with different limits, but there was something about the electric air on the court and the energy behind him from his teammates and the audience that kept spurring him on, not even allowing him a single moment of exhaustion or hesitation. 

Hinata hadn’t even realized it at first when they had won. He hadn’t been paying attention to the score; all that mattered was if they got the next point. Like most of his final sets in Beach, and even back in high school tournaments, Hinata assumed that it would end in a Deuce. Those were never fun to deal with combined with the sense of dread and pressure that came with _thinking_ about the inevitability of a Deuce. 

So when he set a quick off of an A Pass from Inunaki, Hinata didn’t think of anything aside from the momentary cheer and high five with Barnes after scoring the point. Then he turned to do the next shift in rotation which would have him back up to serve. 

Instead of a ball beeing thrown his way, a nearly 90 kg mass of Bokuto hurled himself onto Hinata’s back instead. 

“You did it Tsum-Tsum! I mean Hinata, I mean — aargh, you get what I mean — we won!!!!” 

As soon as Hinata could right himself from the force of the over-excited owl, he turned to look at the score board. 

They won the set, 25-22. The Black Jackals beat the Red Falcons 3-2. 

+++ 

After the game, it was pretty much all a blur for Hinata. It was then that he was infinitely grateful for the soul swapping process: the next time he went to sleep again, he’d not only be able to remember all that happened during his last swap, but he’d get to relive everything again. What more could he have asked for, than to play in his first Division 1 V.League game — and win. 

But for now, after the adrenaline began to wear off, Hinata felt a slight haze wash over him. He barely could remember anything after his teammates all rushed forward to mimic Bokuto after they won. At some point, a reporter of some sort came up to him for an interview (which thankfully, Meian saved him from). Anything that happened between the locker rooms and getting back on the bus? Nothing too important, so it didn't matter. Probably. 

As Hinata sank into the quiet around him, and he really let everything sink in… he could hardly believe today had been real. It wasn’t the 21st birthday he had ever expected to have. To get to play _Division 1 V.League volleyball_ on his birthday **and** he learn that _Miya Atsumu_ was his soulmate? Hinata couldn’t have asked for a better day. 

He didn’t even realize he was smiling giddily to himself in the middle of the bus aisle until he felt a large hand on his shoulder which made him turn around. It was Coach Foster. 

“Hinata-kun, when do you return to Japan?” 

“Um… probably late November, sir. I still have a few more Beach Tournaments left to compete in, as well as my partner's wedding. Why do you ask?” 

“Because I want to formally invite you to join the Black Jackals when you return.”

Hinata gasped and despite how tired he had felt up until then, he couldn’t contain the energy that wanted to escape from his flailing arms. Apparently, that nervous excited energy must be a trait from Hinata’s soul, since it still seemed to be present even across thousands of kilometers and an entirely different body.

But before he could nod and accept in his excitement, Hinata took a breath and steeled his gaze.

“Thank you for the offer sir, but I cannot accept that. I will still be attending tryouts in December.” 

“I appreciate your enthusiasm and work ethic son, wanting to earn your spot and all, but I don’t see the point if we already know we want you on our team.” 

Hinata just shook his head and eased into his explanation. 

“No sir, you are offering me a spot that I haven’t earned yet. You haven’t seen _me_ or what _I_ can do on my own. I won’t be happy until I can say that I earned my spot on the court with my own two feet and my own two hands and my own years of dedication and hard work.” 

He took a second to pause and look down at Atsumu’s large and slender, calloused hands with a small smile. 

“Not that it wasn’t amazing to play with all of Atsumu-san’s strength and skills… but it’s not the same. I only wish I could have come into tryouts, completely unknown, so I could blow you out of the water with my skills alone. But I guess trying out as myself, even if you already know _some_ of what I’m capable of, will have to do.” 

Coach Foster huffed a laugh and shook his head. “You really are something Hinata Shōyō… well, then. I’ll certainly be looking forward to seeing you in December then.” 

Hinata bowed in thanks before jolting off to his seat in the back for a small respite before the bus got loud again with the energy of a game well won. 

  
  


+++ 

When they arrived back in Osaka, it was only a little after 10pm. Hinata could definitely see the perks of only having to drive an hour or two to a match. It meant they didn’t get home at midnight and they didn’t have to stay the night at a hotel.

As soon as they all got off the bus, Inunaki was the first one to yell out to the team. 

“Drinks are on me, Jackals!! Let’s go show Shōyō-kun a proper welcome!” Everyone cheered and whooped with a chorus of barking onomatopoeia that must have been some sort of inside joke that Hinata didn’t understand yet. “And warn him of just what he’s getting himself into with Atsumu!” At the mention of Atsumu, everyone only laughed louder. 

Suddenly, Hinata felt a strong elbow wrap around his shoulders.

“Wait up! Let me give Myaa-sam a call! He should be here to meet Hinata too!” 

“I’ve already met ‘Myaa-sam’, Bokuto-san—“ 

“Yeah, but not as his twin’s _soulmate_.” 

Well, Hinata couldn’t argue there. 

_“Koutarou-kun? Why’re ya callin’ me? Where’s ‘Tsumu, he hasn’t answered his damn phone all day —“_

“Myaa-saaaaam — come out with us to our normal place tonight — Wan-san’s treat!” 

_“Kou, ya know I don’t join for post-win drinks if it’s not a big game —“_

“But it _was_ a big game, Myaa-sam! We beat Aran-kun, how is that not a big deal?!?! Aaaaaannd we’re not drinking or inviting you just cuz we won! We’re celebrating meeting Tsumu-Tsumu’s soulmate!!” 

From the sound on the other end of the line, it sounded nearly like Osamu was choking to death. 

“ _Wait, wait, let me get this straight: My dumbass twin swapped? And ya’ll had a match?!?! The idiot forget his soulmate’s birthday or somethin’??”_

“Aaaaaah something like that, who knows really — but what’s important is that he _did,_ we **won** _,_ and you’ve gotta come meet his soulmate.” 

Osamu just sighed the most put upon sigh he could manage — sounded like it was directed right into the receiver at that.

_“Fine, fine, I’ll come after I close the shop. Maomoru’s again?”_

“You know it!”

+++ 

Everyone raced upstairs as if there was some sort of contest to see who could get ready faster. For all Hinata knew, maybe there was some sort of MSBY tradition. Either way, he had more important things to worry about. Like finding something reasonable to wear that wasn’t just athletic wear (unsurprisingly, a fairly difficult task in the closet of Miya Atsumu). And more importantly — leaving a note for Atsumu to wake up to with his contact information.

Hinata was almost _certain_ that nothing like last time could have gone wrong this time around, especially with his own plans in place, including the repeated reminders for his soulmate to give him a phone number and/or email and/or social media handle… but it was better to be safe than not being able to talk with his _soulmate_ until he returned to Japan and saw him again at try outs months later. 

After a few minutes, Hinata ended up giving up on the whole “no athletic wear” thing, and hoped that Atsumu was the kind to go out to a bar in athleisure. Then again, who would complain at seeing a hot, blond, professional athlete dressed in a black, slightly-see-through mesh tank top and tight black joggers. Hinata didn’t know if they were _supposed_ to be that tight, but if Atsumu owned them and kept them around, he _had_ to know what his ass and thighs looked like in these… not that Hinata was complaining at _all._

When he met all the guys downstairs, it turned out the bar was just a block or two down the road, so they could walk. According to Barnes, it had become a Jackals tradition to drink there after a win. Or any loss. Or really, any occasion that called for drinks and comradery off the court. Even for the guys who no longer lived in the team apartment building because they had families of their own still always made it to Maomoru’s too. 

Hinata assumed based on everyone’s fondness that they probably _also_ got a discount or something because they were members of the team, but found he didn’t quite care when a fruity-looking drink in a clear glass was pushed into his hands the second he got inside. 

The first half hour or so passed by in a flash of cheers and chants that everyone else seemed to know, combined with a lot of flavored alcohol and cold beer. And of course, even more jokes made at the expense of Atsumu. 

Sometime later, someone (Hinata couldn’t remember who), asked him what he looked like. Or more specifically, if he was “hotter than Atsumu”. 

“You’ll just have to be the judge of that one I guess!” Hinata laughed as he punched in his Instagram handle onto his teammate’s phone. He certainly wasn’t going to be a good or unbiased judge of _that_ question, because Hinata thought Atsumu was _really hot._

Hinata realized after laughing so much that night, he really liked Atsumu’s laugh. His laugh bellowed with an unabashed warmth and depth that Hinata had never heard from his own. It was a strange feeling, laughing, but not recognizing it as a sound that came from himself. Still, Hinata found that he didn’t mind as he could only imagine spending years to come surrounded by that laugh. 

Finally closer to midnight than not, Osamu arrived. Most of the other guys were too drunk to notice him at first, but Hinata immediately picked up on his soulmate’s twin from out the corner of his eye. 

Osamu scanned the room for a moment, probably looking for his own face, before he quickly narrowed in on where Hinata was nursing a mixed drink (which was mostly juice) at their table. 

“You.” He pointed at Hinata in a way that somehow meshed apprehension, challenge and fraternity.

Hinata just blinked, but quickly melted his confusion into a smile which he hoped portrayed the genuine happiness and excitement his own smiles did when he was in his own body. Luckily, if Hinata remembered correctly from their minimal interactions in high school, Atsumu _did_ have an adorable smile, so maybe all hope wasn’t lost. 

“Hiya Myaa-sam!” The normally overly polite Hinata definitely got washed away a few drinks ago, easing him back into the casual nature he adjusted to while living in Brazil. Osamu just sighed. 

“Oh god, he’s been hangin’ ‘round Bokkun…” he complained to no one in particular as he shook his dark-haired head. “Please, call me Osamu.” 

“Alright, Osamu-san!” 

“So… who are ya, anyway? Ya can obviously play volleyball, if y’all still won even without my dumbass of a brother…” 

“Hinata Shōyō.” He introduced himself with a bright smile, a challenging glint in his eye and an outstretched hand. 

“Ya’ve gotta be shittin’ me…” 

“The one and only.” Hinata’s grin just grew wider and more shit-eating. 

“That bastard…” Osamu just shook his head while he laughed under his breath. “Couldn’t believe all his bs, and it turns turns out he was right…” 

“Right…? About…?” 

“Don’t tell me ya forgot about ‘Tsumu’s lil’ promise to ya. _‘I’ll toss to ya someday, Shōyō-kun‘_. That’d break ‘Tsumu’s heart, cuz he couldn't shut up ‘bout ya for the next two years.” 

Hinata’s face lit up at the new information. How could he have forgotten? But, that was a reminder that no matter how much he had been entertained by the Black Jackals introductory guide to Atsumu… there was someone far better suited for the job. Someone, who could paint a full picture of the good, the bad, the ugly, the _embarrassing,_ and all of the in betweens that Shōyō was already falling in love with. 

By the end of the night, Hinata was determined to become _great_ friends with Osamu Miya. 

+++++++++++++

It had been a long ass day, and definitely _not_ anything like what Atsumu had expected when he woke up that morning. He woke up in _Brazil_ of all places. 

And Hinata Shōyō was his **soulmate**. 

It had been a long ass day, but it had also been pretty great. Brazil was beautiful, Hinata was so thoughtful. He planned out nearly everything for him in advance, and his friends were all really nice. Even if only his coach could really communicate effectively with him in Japanese, Atsumu could still feel the love they radiated for Shōyō. And they could all tell just how excited he was to meet his soulmate when they finally got the chance. The end of the year couldn't come soon enough.

 _God,_ Atsumu couldn’t wait. He had already been waiting for Shōyō for _years,_ and that even was before he knew that the little orange ray of sunshine was his **soulmate**. 

Despite the profuse apologies and warnings that the memories of his first swap might not be the _most_ pleasant, Atsumu couldn’t wait to go to sleep. He was honestly exhausted. Somehow, even without a 24 hour long flight to get to Rio, he still felt like he had jetlag.

That was one of the many reasons he was grateful for Shōyō’s planning. After a long day meeting new people and having new information thrown at him, combined with the overwhelming sounds of Portuguese all around him, along with the bright sun and the ever-constant presence of volleyball… Atsumu wanted nothing more than to just chill out and eat some good food. 

Of course _—_ with the intimidating cat-like stare which pierced through his very soul, even with a screen as a barrier and thousands of kilometers separating them _—_ it wasn’t as simple as that. 

Kenma was… interesting, to say the least. 

In terms of friends, he was the kinda guy that Atsumu least expected Shōyō to be close to. Much less best friends with. Then again, there was still so much more he had to learn about his soulmate, who he had only actually met a handful of times. Shōyō did seem to have that magnetic sort of personality that attracted all sorts of people to him like moths to a flame, so maybe it _did_ make sense. 

But that didn’t mean Atsumu was any more prepared for the Shovel Talk that Kenma proceeded to give him for the first 10 minutes of their video chat. Barely even a hello or an introduction! Just straight into the _‘If you ever hurt Shōyō , Miya, I_ ** _know_** _where you live, I know where you work and I know people who can make your life_ ** _hell_** _.’_

It was a great start, honestly. 

Not that he didn’t love trying to figure out if the other man thought he was worthy of Shōyō or not, but Atsumu really could have lived without the threatening aura that somehow managed to chill the air there in Brazil. Especially when Kenma made it _clear_ that if Atsumu tried anything _funny_ while he was still in Hinata’s body, he would have to think twice before stepping anywhere near Tokyo ever again. 

“Who, me? Who would do such a thing like that, to their _soulmate?_ Nah, Kenma-kun, I’m not some sort of depraved lunatic like ya think I am. I only have the purest of intentions when it comes to Shōyō-kun, all of which also require his full and knowing consent.” 

That seemed to appease Kenma for the time being, but somehow those golden eyes twitched back in Atsumu’s direction any time even a _thought_ passed through his mind of just how **hot** Hinata had gotten. What, was the guy psychic or something?! 

As the call began to stretch for hours (as Kenma told Atsumu that he and Shōyō often did), he realized he had gotten more comfortable with the reclusive millionaire’s presence. Honestly, it was pretty nice just chilling with someone on the other end of the call who he could actually speak Japanese with, without a whole lot of expectations of being entertaining (not that Atsumu wasn’t _naturally_ entertaining, but it had been a long day of being On). 

Atsumu had made himself comfortable, curled up on Shōyō’s bed; a blanket wrapped around himself to shield himself from the surprising draft. Over the course of the call, Atsumu decided to ignore all lingering sense of judgement he feared from the other man, and found himself hugging the life out of a large, marshmallow-like stuffed crow. Shōyō also had a similar styled calico cat plush that was even larger, but something about it reminded him a little too much of Kenma. 

With the majority of the initial threats upon Atsumu’s life out of the way, Kenma hadn’t spoken up much at all for the last hour unless Atsumu asked him a question. Kenma was still plinking away at the Switch in his hands when the sound of a push notification came through the speaker. He didn’t even bother to look up at Atsumu when he spoke. 

“Oh. Looks like you won.” 

“Hmm?” 

Atsumu was confused; he knew _Kenma_ was playing some sort of game on the other end of the call (the other man had been playing Smash originally, but the most recent music reminded Atsumu of Pokémon). But Atsumu definitely wasn’t. 

“The Jackals.” This time, Kenma looked up. A far too knowing glint in his golden gaze. “You had a _game_ today, or did you forget?” 

The look of horror that flashed across Shōyō’s face (which Atsumu could see in the corner of the video chat) told it plainly: he definitely forgot. 

“OH MY GOD THE GAME — we were playing against Aran too oh GOD how could this have happened, we were on a winning streak too and —“ Atsumu then turned back to where Kenma was watching him, waaaaay too slyly. “Wait, did you say we won?”

“Mmhmm. And it looks like you got 5 service aces.”

“HUUUUHHHHHHH?!?!!!

  
  
  
  


+++++

**Author's Note:**

> Translation Note: “Yoroshiku onegai shimas!!!” = Nice to meet you! / Thank you for your time / Please keep me in mind
> 
> +++ 
> 
> Happy AtsuHina Week y’all!!! Sorry I'm a little late for Day 3, but this fic got away from me. Please come talk to me about AtsuHina over on [twitter](https://twitter.com/ElectraOnigiri), I have have too many feeling about these two <3
> 
> Please let me know what y’all thought and if y’all would be interested in any prequels or sequels to this. I had a whole lot of fun writing this AU (soulmates are my shit) and my brain went WILD with ideas. So, if enough of y’all would read it, I’ll try and write it 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, can’t wait to hear what y’all thought, and I am dying to see what the rest of AtsuHina Week brings!


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